Houston police found 100 immigrants living in stash house

By mnino

Created 03/20/2014 - 8:18am

Thursday, March 20, 2014 - 8:18am

HOUSTON, TX (KVEO NEWSCENTER 23) — More than 100 immigrants, including a pregnant woman were found crammed inside a suspected stash house in Houston, all being held in horrible conditions, against their will. Amanda Perez reports the discovery stated with a call form a very concerned family member.

A heartbreaking site, a crowd of people, grasping for fresh food and water, Houston police say some of them told investigators they had been held against their will for two to fifteen days. Their shoes taken, so they couldn't escape.

A spokesperson said an officer opened the door of the home and found a sea of people, John Cannon, Houston PD, "Bodies upon bodies, people sitting on top of each of them, dirty, filthy conditions. Clothes strewn all over the floor."

Police say the discovery was made during a kidnapping investigation when authorities were contacted by the family of a 24 year-old woman. They were searching for her and her two children, aged 5 and 7, after smugglers didn't show up at a meet up spot on Tuesday night.

Surveillance led police to a home on Wednesday morning, where they found the woman, her children and hundreds of others, John Cannon, "It's classic signs of human smuggling operation where people are treated more like animals than human beings and we are glad we have the five individuals in custody and we'll see if it leads to more with ice involved."